The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[tazcat70]

I was unable to set any eggs.

ETA
However, I will have some chicks delivered on the 16th or 17th.

 

[pickitfarm]

These are our latest hatched chicks. 3 Blue Wheaton Ameracuana. This is our first time using the Genesis HovaBator. HAL eggs are looking good as of yesterday. I leave Thursday to visit and get to check them out myself. I am so excited.

The Buff Orpingtons that I hatched a few weeks ago and DH took back to farm last week are doing great....tail feathers are coming in. They will be moved to coop brooder probably this week. When I hatched them, 11 hatched but 4 died a day or two after hatch. I had a still air incubator. I followed ChooksChicks cheat sheet and actually was more successful than DH with his Farm Innovator and the Hovabator that have fans. The only issue I had was that the chicks did not dry out as they should have in the LG. I did not add any water until lock down. Those eggs were shipped from OK to SC and my husband brought them to me in DE about 3 days after receipt and we did not place them in the incubator for 2 days. That incubator sat on top of a large tote about 30 feet from my front door which is drafty and it was cold...it snowed the day most hatched. I really did not mess with the eggs but maybe three or four times during the 3 weeks to candle. I used two fish tank thermometers and the junk one received with the LG. The latter sat on top of eggs and typically stayed around 102, the other two sat further down - one reading around 99 and the other around 98.5 (set at center of the eggs.) I am thinking the post hatch deaths had something to do with ventilation in the bathroom (no natural light) where I kept them in a tote or the heat was too high. Just trying to figure this all out. DH does not bother reviewing all of the factors that may or may not cause success or failure which I keep telling him is important because he will never improve on hatching if he does not. UGH!

 

[misschickenlittle]

I just need a bit of some wise words for my unsuccessful experiences with broodies...



marshie has her butt back on that nest of hers now.
she is sitting on two golf balls I gave her last night.

i'm going to TSC later and may buy 6 bantam chicks to put under her......but the last time I showed her a 5 week chick it broke her broodiness........do you think I can just suddenly swap eggs for chicks under her and act like they hatched? because a mamma hen does know when an egg pips so......what would you do?

she has been broody for 5 days.....and I dont want her to leave once she sees a chick.

Why give her chicks? Just keep the golf balls under her until you get eggs. Are you getting them soon?

 

[bantambury]

Why give her chicks? Just keep the golf balls under her until you get eggs. Are you getting them soon?

Thing is i dont know where to get eggs....i havent seen any breeds i like in BYC auctions....unless i could go to my breeders place later this week but im crammed with stuff.... So i just thought im going to TS later so id just get some

 

[misschickenlittle]

Thing is i dont know where to get eggs....i havent seen any breeds i like in BYC auctions....unless i could go to my breeders place later this week but im crammed with stuff.... So i just thought im going to TS later so id just get some

Oh ok. Maybe someone with more broody experience can chime in but my thought is once she has chicks her broodiness will break. She will be momma.

 

[SarasNest]

I ended up setting 24 blue Marans 12 Delaware and 12 EEs. First candle I'm down 2 Marans and one del. These are local eggs.

 

[PAchickenlover]

Ok, Ok I can't wait any longer I have to tell... My 7yr old hacked in to his teachers first in math account! 7 yes 7 yr old... What the crap am I going to do with him!? He is way to smart for his own good! Don't worry, I promptly told him to get off and not to do it again.. But now I am a little concerned... Should I warn Bill Gates that he has competition? Lmbo

 

[PAchickenlover]

Sorry, in chicken news.... I had moved my 23 chicks out to their new grow out pen the other day. Then yesterday I noticed that one of the chicks was missing its tail feathers... That chick got brought back in the house and had blu-kote sprayed on. I have left it inside and plan to instill the skin doesn't seem so tender. Other than that all chicks are doing great, eggs are looking good, and the family is healthy. Can't ask for much more.

 

[ronott1]

Ok, Ok I can't wait any longer I have to tell... My 7yr old hacked in to his teachers first in math account! 7 yes 7 yr old... What the crap am I going to do with him!? He is way to smart for his own good! Don't worry, I promptly told him to get off and not to do it again.. But now I am a little concerned... Should I warn Bill Gates that he has competition? Lmbo

The math teacher needs to use a better password and not write it down where the children can see it!

You have a very smart 7 rear old!

 

[Penny Hen]

I getting some Buff Geese!

DH doesn't know yet but I have traded my extraneous yearling ram for a young pair of Buff Geese. The lady says there have been no eggs yet so they may be both ganders but I don't care. I have wanted Buff Geese forever. I'll find them some ladies. Or hatch them. Plus this ram yearling that is too closely related to most of my girls but has the best fleece I have ever bred is going to someone who can appreciate his wool!